Buyers Advice & Car Reviews

Driving under the influence poses a serious threat to yourself and others, and it’s essential to keep a clear head and stay responsible.

Stay sober behind the wheel during the holidays

By Blair Qualey ‘Tis the season to be merry, but it’s also…

  • Dec 20, 2023
Driving under the influence poses a serious threat to yourself and others, and it’s essential to keep a clear head and stay responsible.
Top gear, from left: The CupFone from WeatherTech; Lithium-ion battery from Antigravity; caliper covers from MGP; and period-correct battery from Battery Central Mall.

Parts Dept: Aftermarket action for your wheels

Lithium-ion 12-volt batteries According to Antigravity (yes, that’s the brand name), lithium-ion…

  • Dec 14, 2023
Top gear, from left: The CupFone from WeatherTech; Lithium-ion battery from Antigravity; caliper covers from MGP; and period-correct battery from Battery Central Mall.
All-wheel drive is standard on the 2023 Honda CR-V Sport, as are a variety of safety features. Keith Morgan photo

2023 Honda CRV-Sport: A compact ute for all generations

By Keith Morgan It’s the words that condo dwellers like yours truly…

  • Dec 14, 2023
All-wheel drive is standard on the 2023 Honda CR-V Sport, as are a variety of safety features. Keith Morgan photo
If you’re travelling for the holidays, driving cautiously in winter conditions is imperative – reduce your speed, increase your following distance, and avoid sudden movements.

Navigating winter roads in B.C.: A holiday travel guide

By Blair Qualey The holidays are fast approaching, and for many of…

  • Dec 7, 2023
If you’re travelling for the holidays, driving cautiously in winter conditions is imperative – reduce your speed, increase your following distance, and avoid sudden movements.
The third-generation Acadia, due to arrive in early 2024, looks a bit like the 2023 version, but looks are definitely deceiving. PHOTO: GMC

Size, refinement mark GMC’s 2024 Acadia – a much-improved mode of family transportation

For running the roads with family or friends, it doesn’t get much…

  • Dec 6, 2023
The third-generation Acadia, due to arrive in early 2024, looks a bit like the 2023 version, but looks are definitely deceiving. PHOTO: GMC
As you embark on your seasonal adventures, always remove all valuable items from your vehicle.

Protecting your ride during the festive season: A holiday guide to car crime prevention

By Blair Qualey With the holiday season fast approaching, now is the…

  • Nov 28, 2023
As you embark on your seasonal adventures, always remove all valuable items from your vehicle.
Compared with the gasoline-powered Kia Telluride, which also has three rows of seats, the EV9 is only slightly longer but there are 20 more centimetres between the front and rear wheels, which means more second- and third-row legroom. PHOTO: KIA

2024 Kia EV9: Kia steps up its EV game with a family-size utility vehicle

Few electric vehicles on the market today can handle more than five…

  • Nov 27, 2023
Compared with the gasoline-powered Kia Telluride, which also has three rows of seats, the EV9 is only slightly longer but there are 20 more centimetres between the front and rear wheels, which means more second- and third-row legroom. PHOTO: KIA
The Free Wheeling option package is available with the Bronco Sport Badlands trim level. PHOTO: FORD

Auto Sleuth: Ford brightens the Bronco Sport; New platform for a new Bolt, and more

The automaker will introduce a retro-inspired option called Free Wheeling for the…

  • Nov 27, 2023
The Free Wheeling option package is available with the Bronco Sport Badlands trim level. PHOTO: FORD
The NCDA wants the B.C. government to adopt a more flexible approach to mandated zero emission vehicle targets and the penalty structure, with concerns existing rules will have unintended consequences.

Flexibility will be key to B.C.’s continued leadership in ZEV adoption

By Blair Qualey Only days ago, the provincial government introduced legislation that…

  • Nov 7, 2023
The NCDA wants the B.C. government to adopt a more flexible approach to mandated zero emission vehicle targets and the penalty structure, with concerns existing rules will have unintended consequences.
The eight-speed paddle-shift transmission located between the rear wheels might improve weight distribution but it also requires remote-mounted cantilever shocks and springs. There’s actually no room for a trunk. PHOTO: FORD

FIRST LOOK: 2025 Ford Mustang GTD

Ford’s street stallion offers other-world performance, but it comes at an other-world price

  • Nov 7, 2023
The eight-speed paddle-shift transmission located between the rear wheels might improve weight distribution but it also requires remote-mounted cantilever shocks and springs. There’s actually no room for a trunk. PHOTO: FORD
There’s no longer a V-8 option for the Grand Cherokee (although it’s available in the Grand Cherokee L) which means either a 293-horsepower V-6 or the 370-horsepower plug-in hybrid system. PHOTO: STELLANTIS

Meet the 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe

For short commutes, this Jeep could help stretch your fuel budget, but there’s a lot more going on

  • Oct 27, 2023
There’s no longer a V-8 option for the Grand Cherokee (although it’s available in the Grand Cherokee L) which means either a 293-horsepower V-6 or the 370-horsepower plug-in hybrid system. PHOTO: STELLANTIS
Josie Osborne, minister of energy, mines and low carbon innovation, speaks during an announcement at the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, in North Vancouver, B.C., on Thursday, June 15, 2023. British Columbia’s government is accelerating its zero-emission vehicle targets so it can hit its goal five years sooner. Osborne says the province is the “first in the world” to put EV sales target into law. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

B.C. pressing the gas pedal on EV transition targets by 5 years

Aiming to mandate all new light-duty vehicles, passenger cars and trucks sold be EVs by 2035

Josie Osborne, minister of energy, mines and low carbon innovation, speaks during an announcement at the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, in North Vancouver, B.C., on Thursday, June 15, 2023. British Columbia’s government is accelerating its zero-emission vehicle targets so it can hit its goal five years sooner. Osborne says the province is the “first in the world” to put EV sales target into law. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Toyota’s fourth-generation hybrid arrives in spring. PHOTO: Toyota

Auto Almanac: Toyota’s 4th-gen hybrid; Fixing spongy brakes + more

DRAWING BOARD 2024 Toyota Prius: Toyota’s fourth-generation hybrid arrives in spring with…

  • Oct 22, 2023
Toyota’s fourth-generation hybrid arrives in spring. PHOTO: Toyota
The Audi E-tron GT has front and rear electric motors and a claimed best range of about 380 kilometres. That will definitely be lower if you take advantage of the car’s ample thrust that propels it to 60 mph (96-km/h) from rest in as little as 3.1 seconds. PHOTO: AUDI

2024 Audi E-tron GT: Sleek, premium-class electric sedan acts more like a sports car

Platform sharing when it comes to electric vehicles is quite common. One…

  • Oct 21, 2023
The Audi E-tron GT has front and rear electric motors and a claimed best range of about 380 kilometres. That will definitely be lower if you take advantage of the car’s ample thrust that propels it to 60 mph (96-km/h) from rest in as little as 3.1 seconds. PHOTO: AUDI
Tires displaying the 3-peaked mountain/snowflake symbol and M+S (mud and snow) tires both meet the legal requirement as long as they have least 3.5 mm of tread. Winter tires outperform M+S tires in cold and snowy conditions. Black Press file

October’s arrival means it’s time for winter tires

Designated highways require winter tires or chains from Oct. 1 to March 31, other routes to April 30

Tires displaying the 3-peaked mountain/snowflake symbol and M+S (mud and snow) tires both meet the legal requirement as long as they have least 3.5 mm of tread. Winter tires outperform M+S tires in cold and snowy conditions. Black Press file
The Mazda CX-9, pictured, continued while the new CX-90 was being brought online. Now it’s time for the CX-9 to bow out. PHOTO: MAZDA

Auto Sleuth: Welcome to the Lotus Eletre; farewell to Mazda’s CX-9 and Chrysler’s 300C

Say so long to the CX-9 You could say it was inevitable…

  • Sep 29, 2023
The Mazda CX-9, pictured, continued while the new CX-90 was being brought online. Now it’s time for the CX-9 to bow out. PHOTO: MAZDA
The most important aspect of a vehicle when it comes to safely navigating variable weather conditions is simple: get winter tires.

Oct. 1 means winter tires are mandatory on many B.C. routes

By Blair Qualey The change of season means a lot of things…

  • Sep 24, 2023
The most important aspect of a vehicle when it comes to safely navigating variable weather conditions is simple: get winter tires.
The orange 10th Anniversary Special Edition GR86 has dual exhaust outlets, exterior stripes, 18-inch forged alloy wheels and leather-trimmed seats with faux suede inserts. PHOTO: TOYOTA

2023 Toyota GR86: A rare find in a sea of practical transportation choices

Sports-car fans on a budget have few choices. Fortunately, the Toyota GR86…

  • Sep 24, 2023
The orange 10th Anniversary Special Edition GR86 has dual exhaust outlets, exterior stripes, 18-inch forged alloy wheels and leather-trimmed seats with faux suede inserts. PHOTO: TOYOTA
More than 110,000 zero emission vehicles are registered in B.C., most purchased with the benefit of the Clean BC Go Electric Passenger Vehicle Rebate Program, which the NCDA delivers in collaboration with the Province of British Columbia and funded by BC Hydro.

Canada crosses critical threshold in ZEV adoption

By Blair Qualey According to a recent Bloomberg Green analysis of zero…

  • Sep 11, 2023
More than 110,000 zero emission vehicles are registered in B.C., most purchased with the benefit of the Clean BC Go Electric Passenger Vehicle Rebate Program, which the NCDA delivers in collaboration with the Province of British Columbia and funded by BC Hydro.
The long-rumoured N version of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (standard version pictured) will somewhat mirror the performance of the related Kia EV6 GT. PHOTO: HYUNDAI

The Auto Sleuth: Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 electric, Cadillac XT4 updates and more

Hyundai’s electric Ioniq 5 gets the performance treatment The N designation has…

  • Sep 8, 2023
The long-rumoured N version of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (standard version pictured) will somewhat mirror the performance of the related Kia EV6 GT. PHOTO: HYUNDAI